Springtime storms in Minnesota can be brutal and may damage your roof. Until you find a contractor to permanently fix the storm damage, we advise you to protect your roof with the below methods.
Roofing Tar
For small problems, like missing shingles, use roofing tar to seal up weakness until they can be fixed for good. Apply it with a drywall knife, or something similar, and spread the tar onto surrounding tiles to waterproof the area for around a month.
Roofing Cement
Another option is to seal up small gaps and damaged flashing with roofing cement. The most important thing to remember is to use a fair amount of cement, and it will usually last up to a month. In colder weather, it’ll fail sooner. This is a temporary fix, so flashing will still need to be replaced.
Plastic and Tarps
For large scale damage or multiple missing shingles, spread either a thick sheet of plastic or a tarp over it. In order for it to keep water from entering, the material needs to drape over the peak of the house.
The plastic will need to be secured with either bricks or heavy bags of sand, while the tarp can be tied down with either bungee cord or rope. You can also nail the tarp down with 3” nails through the metal loops lining the edges. If using nails, drive them under undamaged shingles about 2” deep and bend the remainder over the tarp to hold it in place. It must be secured all around to prevent the wind from ripping it off. The plastic will last you from a few days to a few weeks, while the tarp can last you between 2 and 3 months.
Insurance
To make sure the damage will be completely covered by insurance, cover it as soon as possible to protect against further harm. If you don’t, you run the risk of not having the necessary coverage to pay for expenses. Also, it can be helpful for your insurance claim if you take pictures before you cover the damaged section.
Spring storms are a part of life, but you can minimize the harm done when you act quickly enough. Once you’ve made these initial repairs, feel free to give us a call to make the repairs permanent. Iron River Construction is a storm damage repair specialist.
